


before the stars fell from the sky

by orphan_account



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Clarke/Lexa at the end but predominantly Costia/Lexa, F/F, Lexa being adorable sunshine, Lexa being happy for once in her life, Lexa being squishy and awkward, Lexa's past
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-02
Updated: 2016-02-03
Packaged: 2018-05-17 21:27:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5885785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A biography of Lexa's past, starting from when she was chosen to be the next commander up until she meets the sky people. A detailed look into Costia and Lexa's relationship, along with what shaped Lexa to be who she is, both as a commander and as a person.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Next Heda

**** “I believe Lexa of TonDC should be taken into consideration,” Anya stated firmly before the committee, consisting of five elders responsible for deciding the next  _ Heda _ . Of course, the elders did not simply choose the child they thought would fit best in the position. The spirit of the last commander found her way into the body of the next ruler of the  _ trikru _ , it was simply up to the committee to figure out which child possessed her soul.

The second elder to the left scoffed at Anya’s declaration. “Of all your seconds,” he began, “why do you believe the child who has not even qualified to begin group combat training is fit to be the next commander? The same child who nearly got an entire village burned down because she thought it would be a good idea to build a fireplace in your tent?”

“She was only eight when that happened,” Anya responded bitterly. She knew Lexa was just trying to help, it was an abnormally cold winter. “I have been training her to fight since she was five. She’s small for her age, but she is an incredibly smart child. When she is focused, she has intellect like I have never seen before. She is capable of making tough decisions, even at such a young age. All I am asking is that you give her the test.”

The fourth elder chimed in. “All children make silly mistakes,” she began. “It couldn’t hurt to bring her in for testing with the next round.”

“Oh, please,” the second elder rebuttled. “We all know Anya is biased. I fear for the state of  _ trikru _ if that child is in position to be the next commander-”

“Anya has been an excellent mentor,” the first elder interrupted. “She has done nothing but breed warriors, not only tough, but clever too. If she wants to bring Lexa of TonDC in for testing, I see no harm. The child cannot pass if she does not possess the spirit of  _ Heda _ .”

The elders debated among themselves for a minute before deciding that Lexa would in fact be brought in with the other children during the next round of testing. Anya nodded, “I can assure you, even if Lexa does not become the next  _ Heda _ , she will be one of the greatest leaders  _ trikru _ has ever seen.”

She was right.

 

* * *

 

The twelve year old girl with sea green eyes and long braided hair nervously paced around her tent. It had been one week exactly since she was put through a test of stealth, intellect, and will. Despite the test itself being emotionally and physically draining, Lexa had hardly slept since she returned home. The elders had six days to discuss the results, and on the seventh, they would send a messenger if Lexa was indeed the next  _ Heda _ .

“The sun is already mid-sky, Anya,” Lexa speculated. “Surely he would have arrived by now.”

“ _ Settle _ , Lexa,” Anya commanded. “If you are not  _ Heda _ , pacing around will not change that.”

Lexa sat down, attempting to remain calm, but still fidgeting. “I have never wanted something so badly before, Anya. It would bring such honor to my parents,” she admitted, a sad smile painting her face. Lexa was only five years old when her mother and father were killed in a battle against  _ Azgeda _ . Anya, only 16 at the time, took her in as her own. “ _ I already train kids _ ,” she reasoned, “ _ raising one will be just the same _ .”

“Lexa, your parents would be proud of you regardless,” Anya answered honestly, sitting beside her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. “You have great leadership skills. You will be a skilled warrior one day.”

“I know,” Lexa responded, “but if I was  _ Heda _ , I could do so much more. I could unite the twelve clans!”

Anya laughed at Lexa’s grand ambitions. “If you do that, I will be impressed. There hasn’t been peacetime since before I was born.”

Lexa stood up, puffing her chest out in a confident stance. “I can do it, Anya. I just need the messenger to get here,” she looked out the door towards Polis. “To tell me I’m the next  _ Heda _ .”

Lexa got her wish.

Lexa would learn to be careful what she wished for.

 

* * *

 

“Welcome to group combat,” leader Kai boomed across the crowd of eager children. “Here, you will learn how to be a warrior. Your strength of spirit will be tested.”

Kai continued to give his opening speech while Lexa looked around nervously. Everyone was staring at her, and she couldn’t figure out if it was because she was the oldest one there, or because the word was spreading that she was in line to be the next commander when she turned sixteen.  _ The second, probably _ , she reasoned. She felt a tap at her shoulder. She was pleasantly surprised to see her friend Lucas, a small dark-haired boy whom she met while visiting a neighboring village with Anya, standing behind her. “Lucas!” she smiled. “I’m glad you’re here. I don’t know  _ anyone _ .”

“I’m glad to see you too! Why are you in the beginner class? I thought you were twelve.”

Lexa looked down self-consciously. “I was too small to go the past two years. I was too small to go this year, too, but they made an exception due to the news.”

“What news?” Lucas tilted his head.

“I’m the next  _ Heda _ !” she beamed, extremely proud to be able to tell someone.

Lucas’s eyes grew wide as he took a not so subtle step back. “Oh… I’m sorry, I didn’t know…  _ Heda _ .” He bowed his head down, looking a mixture of startled and awkward.

Lexa was surprised at the reaction. “It’s okay, Lucas. I’m not  _ Heda _ yet. I don’t take over for four more years. You can still call me Lexa.”

He hesitated, but then he stepped back forward to talk to his friend. “I just don’t want to be disrespectful is all. My parents taught me that. ‘ _ Always respect the people above you’ _ .”

His words hit Lexa like a ton of bricks. She didn’t want to be  _ better _ than people, she just wanted to lead people, to help people. She suddenly realized that being the commander would mean she would have no true equals. It was a sad and lonely thought that she quickly pushed it away.

“Helping me lead the class today,” Kai continued to speak, “is Costia of  _ Ington _ village.” A tall, dirty blonde girl with deep brown eyes, pattern tattoos running down the visible parts of her body, and a confident stance stood beside Kai. She was young, and had a baby face, but still managed to look intimidating.

“Hey, she’s from your village, Lucas,” Lexa nudged him. “Do you know her?”

“Yes. She began combat training two years early,” he replied. “She’s fought in  _ real _ battles against  _ Azgeda _ . She’s only eleven, but she already has a kill mark.”

Lexa raised her eyebrows. She was impressed. “Do you think-”

She was cut off by Kai. “You, whispering in the back, the girl, come over here.” Lexa swallowed hard, but obeyed. She trudged through the mass of children all staring at her, waiting for her to receive punishment for disrespecting the leader. She made it to the front and stood in front of Kai and Costia. “Do you think this is supposed to be  _ fun _ ?” Kai asked seriously. “If you screw around during combat training, and you go out there to fight, you will lose your life.” Lexa gulped, looking away from Kai and towards Costia, who was giving Lexa an equally firm stare. “State your name,” he demanded.

“I am Lexa,” she stated nervously. “Of TonDC.”

Kai’s eyebrows quickly shot up. “ _ You? _ ” he asked incredulously. “Of all people, I would have expected  _ you _ to be a good example for the crowd,” he spat, disappointment lacing his voice. He looked to his left towards Costia and decided, “we’re starting our first demonstration a bit early today.”

 

* * *

 

Lexa stood nervously in the middle of the circle, her peers surrounding her on all sides, with Costia at the other end, looking fierce and intimidating. “Our first combat demonstration of today will be between our group leader, Costia, and Lexa of TonDC, the next  _ Heda _ .”

Lexa had received combat training from Anya since she was a little girl, but she had never actually  _ fought _ someone, let alone someone as experienced as Costia. She swallowed hard as she heard the surrounding mumbles. “It’s not a fair fight, clearly  _ Heda _ will win,” one girl said. “I feel bad for that other girl,” a boy at the end of the circle chimed. Apparently Costia had heard that one, because her face grew even more intense. Lexa swallowed hard.  _ Just don’t embarrass yourself _ , she thought.  _ Stay focused and remember what Anya taught you _ .

“This is a weapon free fight. All shots must be taken with your bare hands. The winner will be determined when the other either surrenders or cannot get up. You may begin.”

Costia stayed at her end of the circle, taking a fight stance. Lexa quickly realized she would have to approach her if she wanted this fight to begin. Lexa kept her arms up, guarding her face, as she carefully made her way towards Costia. She took a few steps closer, taking a shot at the blonde’s face, before quickly receiving a swift kick to the gut. “ _ Shit _ ,” she breathed as she fell to the ground, getting the wind knocked out of her.

“Get up  _ Heda _ ,” the chants around her grew loud. She quickly got back on her feet, contemplating a new strategy. This time, she waited for Costia to come to her end of the circle. After a few minutes, Costia grew impatient and charged over, hoping to end this. Lexa swept her feet out from under her, causing the blonde to fall to the ground this time. “Not so tough now,” Lexa taunted with a half smile on her face, the cheers from the crowd growing louder. Costia quickly got up, landed a solid punch to Lexa’s right cheek, and in a split-second, everything faded to black.

 

* * *

 

Lexa woke up on a cot in the medical tent, with Nyko, the village healer, attending to other injured children, and Costia sitting on a chair a few feet from her cot. “ _ Ugh _ ,” Lexa held her head (she had never been knocked out before). “What happened?”

Costia smiled. “I kicked your ass, that’s what happened.”

The memories came flooding back to Lexa as she put her hands over her face in embarrassment, before flinching at the tender spot on her right cheek. “Was it as bad as I think it was?”

“Worse, probably,” Costia smirked, walking over to Lexa’s cot. “Nobody expected  _ Heda _ to go down at all, let alone that quickly.”

“It was my first day,” Lexa rebuttled, looking up at Costia, noticing how big and deep her dark brown eyes were, not to mention how her braids fell perfectly despite being in combat all day. “Why are you here?” Lexa asked, before realizing her words sounded hostile. “I mean, not that I don’t  _ want _ you here,” she rambled, “I just thought you would have more important things to do.”

Costia laughed. “I felt bad that I knocked out the next  _ Heda _ . I wanted to make sure you didn’t die, or anything. I would have been in a lot of trouble.”

“Thanks,” Lexa rolled her eyes. She couldn’t help but smile that Costia cared enough to stay with her in the tent, and for some reason her heart was beating faster than normal, and her palms were sweating, and she kind of felt like she was going to throw up. She reasoned it was because she just got knocked out.

“Well, now that you’re awake, I should probably get going,” Costia reasoned.

“Wait,” Lexa stopped her. “You’re staying in TonDC this week, right? For group training?”

“Yes, why?”

“Maybe I could show you around,” Lexa attempted to sit up, before her head decided that was not the best idea. “ _ Ow _ ,” she whispered, laying back down.

Costia giggled. “You can’t even sit up, I don’t think you’re in any shape to show me around.”

“No, I’m fine, I swear,” she argued. “I’m tough. I’m  _ Heda _ , after all, remember?”

“Not yet,” Costia rebuttled playfully. “For four more years you’re just a girl. A girl who got her ass kicked by someone younger than her, no less.”

Lexa couldn’t figure out why, but she  _ really _ liked Costia. “Tomorrow, then, I’ll show you around? Wait for me?”

“Sure,” Costia agreed. “I have nothing better to do.”

 

* * *

 

The rest of group training was a success, more or less. Lexa didn’t get knocked out again, so that was enough success for her. She got to show Costia around TonDC all week, and the two promised to visit each other when possible after training ended. That didn’t make saying goodbye any easier, though, but Lexa already was working on Anya to take her to visit Costia the next week.

“ _ Please _ , Anya,” Lexa begged. “I’m not old enough to walk there alone.”

“Why do you want to see your friend so badly? You just spent the whole week with her! Besides, the next round of combat training is in a month.”

Lexa blushed. “She’s just really cool, is all. Never mind. Forget I said anything,” she felt embarrassed so she tried to walk away, but Anya stopped her.

“Wait,” Anya began. “Do you have a  _ crush _ on her?”

“What? No!” Lexa insisted. “Ew, gross,” she exaggerated.

“Lexa’s first crush!” Anya teased, seeing Lexa’s ears grow more and more red by the minute.

“Stop, I don’t,” Lexa crossed her arms indignantly. “I just, I respect her, okay? She is already a great warrior. I want to learn from her, is all,” Lexa lied.

“Okay, sure,” Anya played along. “I’ll take you to see her next week. Only if you double your volunteering shifts for village cleanup.”

“ _ Double?! _ ” Lexa exclaimed, before realizing seeing Costia was  _ so _ worth it. “I mean, sure. That is fair. I will start now,” Lexa said calmly, but as soon as she left the tent, a huge smile swept her face. 

  
For the next two years, Lexa doubled her volunteering shifts.


	2. Lexa's 14th Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An awkward teenage Lexa asks Costia to be her girlfriend. Cuteness ensues.

The birthday girl involuntarily woke up at the crack of dawn to Anya blowing a horn in her face. Startled, Lexa jumped out of bed, rubbing her eyes. “What, what is it?”

“Happy birthday!” Anya screamed, giving the grumpy teenager a hug.

Lexa scowled at her, attempting to squirm out of the embrace to go back to sleep. “I’ll celebrate later,” she yawned. “I had a late night of training last night.”

“Are you sure?” Anya nudged her. “Because I have a surprise for you,” she sang as she paraded over to the tent’s entrance, lifting the curtain to reveal the  _ Ington _ village girl with deep brown eyes.

“Costia!” Lexa exclaimed, jumping out of bed, running to embrace the blonde. “What are you doing here?!”

“Anya sent a guard to escort me to TonDC last night,” she smiled. “I wouldn’t miss your birthday.”

Lexa held the other girl tightly for a little too long, before she broke the embrace and blushed. “Sorry I look like this. I just woke up. I haven’t had time to do my braids,” she admitted.

“You look great,” Costia replied honestly. Lexa’s ears grew red as she tried to keep her composure. “Are you tired? Do you want to go back to sleep for a while?”

“And miss spending time with my best friend?” Lexa nudged her, smiling. “No way. Just let me clean myself up a bit and then we can start the day.”

\---

Costia and Lexa spent the morning together walking through the woods, stealing glances whenever they thought the other one wasn’t looking. They had never brought up their obvious feelings for one another, they were both young and terribly nervous to mess up the best thing that had ever happened to either of them. Lexa admired Costia’s strength and beauty. She was never afraid to put Lexa in her place when she was acting out of line. Costia admired Lexa’s intellect and strength of spirit, but also her softness and playfulness, especially around her. Whenever they walked through the woods together, Lexa would find a flower along the path to give to Costia. It was a simple gesture to show she enjoyed their time together. 

They sat down once they reached the river. It was a chilly autumn morning, too cold to swim, but they both loved being by the water, watching it flow regardless of circumstance. Lexa scooted closer to Costia so their arms touched, too nervous to reach out and grab her hand. She had told herself the whole year,  _ once I turn 14, I’m asking her out _ . It was an arbitrary rule, but one she placed on herself so she couldn’t chicken out. She had been in love with her for so long, since the day they met nearly two years ago. Every moment they spent together was filled with warm feelings and butterflies, and every moment spent apart was filled with longing and pining. 

Lexa had a “secret” diary kept (Anya totally knew about it, but she never read it, of course), that was filled with pages and pages of Costia (with the occasional “what I’m going to do when I become  _ Heda _ ” list). She wasn’t much of an artist, but she tried to draw the blonde, capturing her features the best she could so she would always be with her. She wrote angsty poetry about her “unrequited” love (which was completely requited, if she would have just  _ asked _ ), along with love notes that Costia would never see (they were  _ totally _ embarrassing). 

Lexa took a deep breath and looked at the girl sitting next to her. This was it. She was going to spill her feelings in the most terrifying way possible, put her heart on the line, and ask Costia to be her girlfriend. She stared at the water and began mentally preparing the exact words she was going to say. She was so hyper-focused she didn’t notice the girl sitting next to her intensely staring at her face. Her thought process was interrupted by a nervous Costia.

“Lexa,” Costia grabbed her attention.

“Yeah?”

“Can I kiss you?”

Lexa’s eyes grew wide, she was beaten to the punch. Her brain short-circuited and she couldn’t stop herself before she blurted out an alarmed “no!”

“Oh,” Costia looked embarrassed. “I’m sorry,” she looked smaller than Lexa had ever seen her, and Lexa immediately felt  _ terrible _ that her brain decided to malfunction during the most important moment of her life.

“No, wait, that’s not what I meant,” Lexa began rambling. “I was just, I was going to-” Lexa stopped to take a deep breath. Her face was completely red by now, her hands shaking, and the girl sitting next to her looked like she was about to cry. “Will you be my girlfriend?” Lexa blurted out before she closed her eyes, mentally cursing herself.

“What?” Costia seemed confused. “But you just-”

“I  _ want  _ to kiss you,” Lexa started rambling again. “Obviously. I just,  _ I _ was going to make the first move today, and you caught me off guard, and I’m so sorry, and I really like you. I have since the first day we met, in fact, and you make me feel things I have never felt, and when I’m not with you it sucks, and I love spending time with you, I-” Lexa was cut off by Costia’s lips pressing against hers. She inhaled deeply into the kiss, wondering if this was a dream, before moving her hand to Costia’s face. They kissed for a while, gently, innocently, before Costia pulled back.

“Wow,” Lexa shivered. “Thank you.”

Costia laughed at how awkward Lexa was being. “For what? Kissing you?”

“Yes,” Lexa laughed. “But also for making me shut up.”

“You’re welcome,” Costia blushed. “Also, yes.”

“Yes?” Lexa asked.

“Yes to being your girlfriend,” Costia smiled. “I thought you’d never ask.”

Lexa smiled so big and so much for the rest of the morning that her face hurt.

\---

Lexa and Costia returned to the plaza in TonDC midday for  _ Heda’s _ birthday feast. Since Lexa was not technically  _ Heda _ yet, it was a smaller gathering with only people from the village, nobody from Polis this year. The table was filled with all sorts of food, including fruit, nuts, berries, and assorted meats. 

“Wow,” Costia’s eyes widened. “I’ve never seen so much food in one place before.”

“Pretty great being  _ Heda’s _ girlfriend, isn’t it?” Lexa teased.

“I’d rather be  _ Lexa’s _ girlfriend,” Costia smiled, and Lexa’s heart melted. The little kids from around the village were all playing in the plaza, waiting for lunch to be served. Lexa grabbed Costia’s hand and ran over to join them. “Mind if I join?” Lexa asked. “ _ Heda! _ ” they all exclaimed, rushing to hug her legs. She pretended to spar with them, always letting them win, falling to the ground dramatically. “Oh no, you’ve defeated me!” she would shout in an exaggerated tone. They would all laugh and help her up to play again.

Costia wondered how Lexa, her goofy, awkward Lexa, ever passed the test to be commander. She knew she was incredibly smart, gifted, and strong, but she sure didn’t show it most of the time. She always screwed around during training, and probably didn’t take things as seriously as she should have. She was always worried that would come back to bite her when she actually took charge. But, on the other hand, she was a giant goofball around kids, and a huge softy around her, and she  _ loved _ that, and she  _ loved _ her.

They sat down to eat, and Gustus,  _ Heda’s _ advisor, stood up to give a toast. “This day is very special. In exactly two years,  _ Heda _ Lexa will take the throne, relieving our interim commander of duty, and  _ trikru _ will see years of prosperity once more. To Lexa,” he raised his glass. “To Lexa!” the rest of the table shouted before beginning the feast.

Lexa couldn’t stop smiling. This was by far the best day of her life. She noticed the kid sitting across from her giving her a playful look, and she flicked one of her berries at him. Soon, the rest of the kids were playing with their food too, and Lexa was in the middle of it, laughing. They began to get stares from some of the adults.

“Lexa,” Costia whispered uncomfortably. “Stop doing that.”

“Why?” Lexa asked. “It’s not hurting anyone. We’re just joking around.”

“You’re getting weird looks.”

“So what? I’m  _ Heda _ . I can do whatever I want,” Lexa reasoned.

Costia held a hand over her face in embarrassment. “It’s  _ because _ you’re  _ Heda  _ that you need to start taking things more seriously. You have a certain level of respect to demand,” she spoke firmly to Lexa, who now had mashed potatoes all over her face. 

“Okay,” Lexa wiped her face and regained her stoic commander pose. “I’m sorry. I will stop playing with my food.”

“Thank you,” Costia smiled, reaching out to hold her hand under the table. 

Lexa blushed, unable to keep a dopey smile from painting her face. “What would I do without you?” 

“Let’s never find out,” Costia laughed, wiping the rest of the food from her girlfriend’s face. “Actually, about that,” she continued. “I have a surprise.”

“A surprise, really?” Lexa’s eyebrows raised. “I hope it’s a good one.”

“It is,” she smiled. “At least, I hope you think it is. My parents and I, we’re moving to TonDC.”

“What?!” Lexa exclaimed loudly, excitedly, garnering the attention of half the table. “Oh, sorry,” she whispered. “I forgot I have to act all commandery.”

Costia laughed. “It’s okay. So, you’re excited?”

“That’s an understatement,” Lexa smiled. “This is the happiest day of my life.”

“Really?” Costia was melting under Lexa’s loving stare.

“Of course. The most beautiful girl in the entire world not only agreed to be my girlfriend, but she’s moving here too,” Lexa replied nervously, her voice slightly shaking.

Costia kissed Lexa’s cheek and wrapped herself around her arm, resting her head on her shoulder. “I can’t wait to do everything with you.”

\---

Costia had been living in TonDC for nearly a year, and she had spent nearly every waking moment with Lexa. They took the same shifts for everything, including cleaning, scouting, and hunting. The only time they were apart was when Lexa had her special  _ Heda _ training for a few hours a day. They slept in different tents, except when Anya was away in Polis, then Costia would sneak into Lexa’s tent. They would mostly cuddle -- and occasionally make out -- but Lexa made sure she never made Costia feel uncomfortable. She was a year older than the other girl and she wanted to make sure she was ready, so she decided to wait for Costia to bring it up. It wasn’t easy though. Since they had both gone through puberty, Lexa had wanted Costia more than anything in the world.

The summer was nearly over, and she was thankful, because swimming with Costia in the river had been  _ torture _ . Costia knew the effect she had on Lexa, and truthfully, Lexa had the same effect on her, especially since she started getting her  _ Heda  _ tattoos. Costia would kiss her hard and long in the river until Lexa pulled back, awkwardly muttering that she needed a break to calm down. Costia would smirk and playfully tease her about her reaction, but she loved it. Costia didn’t know how much longer she could wait either.

Anya had been in Polis for three days, set to come back at sunrise. Lexa would miss having Costia by her side until Anya’s next trip, and couldn’t wait for the day she got her own  _ Heda _ tent so she would never have to be without her love again. She grinned when Costia snuck into her tent that night and got under the covers next to her.

“I missed you,” Lexa breathed, pulling her in close.

“You just saw me an hour ago,” Costia laughed. “But I missed you too.” She leaned in to kiss Lexa gently, but grew increasingly more desperate as she ran her fingers through her hair and down her back. “Lexa?” she breathed.

“Yes?” Lexa looked back at her with half-lidded eyes unable to stay in place between the other girl’s eyes and lips. “I want you,” she whispered against the commander’s lips. “I can’t wait any longer.” Lexa nodded, her nervousness being overtaken by desire, as she kissed Costia hard, rolling on top of her, stripping her of her clothes before stripping her own. Their kisses grew faster, hungrier, they explored each other’s bodies in ways they had fantasized about for years, going for hours, sharing whimpers and muffled moans in between ‘I love you’s and ‘I need you’s. 

They collected their clothes before sunrise, not getting any sleep, scrambling to make sure Costia was gone before Anya returned. Costia was on her way out before Lexa took her arm, spun her around, and kissed her one last time. “I love you so much, Costia. You mean more to me than anything in the world.” Costia looked at her with sadness decorating her eyes. She knew Lexa wouldn’t feel that way forever. She couldn’t afford to, not if she was going to be the commander. But for now, the beautiful girl with flowing braids and deep green eyes was looking at her like she was the most perfect thing ever created.

  
She kissed her back, deciding to enjoy being the center of Lexa’s world while she could.

**Author's Note:**

> I stayed up embarrassingly late writing this first chapter. I have a mental layout of how I want the rest of the story to go, and there will probably be 3-5 more chapters depending on how I break it up. I love seeing Lexa happy before the weight of the world destroyed her.


End file.
